Jacob Hacker, the originator of the public option proposal originally included in the ACA, describes what it is and why the concept is gaining traction again as the big health insurers are becoming increasingly resistant to participation in the ACA exchanges.

Excerpts:

“The reality is that competition among private insurers has never lived up to the rhetoric put forth by the industry or free market fundamentalists. … The public option meant people had another choice: a nonprofit, democratically governed plan that would be modeled after a program most Americans love. Which helps explain why, from day one, it polled extremely well.”